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Cost of Living in Chiang Mai
Summary about cost of living in Chiang Mai:
- Four-person family monthly costs: 1,940.41$ (59,104.75฿) without rent (using our estimator).
- A single person monthly costs: 540.15$ (16,452.98฿) without rent.
- Cost of living index in Chiang Mai is 53.49% lower than in New York.
- Cost of living rank 257th out of 442 cities in the world.
- Chiang Mai has a cost of living index of 46.51.
| Restaurants | [ Edit ] | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 1.64 $ | |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 18.06 $ | |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 5.70 $ | |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 2.30 $ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.45 $ | |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 1.96 $ | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 0.64 $ | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 0.31 $ | |
| Markets | [ Edit ] | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 6.77 $ | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 1.13 $ | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 0.44 $ | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 1.48 $ | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 9.49 $ | |
| Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1 lb) | 1.25 $ | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 5.62 $ | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 1.12 $ | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.37 $ | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 0.78 $ | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 0.53 $ | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 0.63 $ | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 0.48 $ | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 0.73 $ | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 0.57 $ | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 16.41 $ | |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.75 $ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 2.92 $ | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 4.76 $ | |
| Transportation | [ Edit ] | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 0.98 $ | |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 32.83 $ | |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 1.64 $ | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 0.66 $ | |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 3.94 $ | |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.68 $ | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 34,471.44 $ | |
| Toyota Corolla 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 26,149.05 $ | |
| Utilities (Monthly) | [ Edit ] | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 63.58 $ | |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 0.04 $ | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 22.75 $ | |
| Sports And Leisure | [ Edit ] | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 38.64 $ | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 4.84 $ | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 4.92 $ | |
| Childcare | [ Edit ] | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 213.39 $ | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 10,952.07 $ | |
| Clothing And Shoes | [ Edit ] | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 72.21 $ | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 25.58 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 83.77 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 71.60 $ | |
| Rent Per Month | [ Edit ] | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 385.75 $ | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 288.96 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 789.74 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 495.90 $ | |
| Buy Apartment Price | [ Edit ] | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 207.68 $ | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 143.27 $ | |
| Salaries And Financing | [ Edit ] | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 534.03 $ | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.41 |
Prices in Chiang Mai
These data are based on 1214 entries in the past 18 months from 145 different contributors.
Last update: January 2020
Last update: January 2020
Sources and References:
No sources and references provided yet.
No sources and references provided yet.
This page in other languages:
DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Chiang Mai
PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Chiang Mai
ItalianoCosto della Vita a Chiang Mai
FrançaisCoût de la Vie à Chiang Mai
EspañolCosto de Vida en Chiang Mai
28 Comments so far
Whilst most of the figures regarding Chiang Mai looks correct to me (at least for itens that I know), I have 2 remarks
1. Apartments rents should be compared by sqm not by bedroom; 1 bedroom apartment can be 45sqm or 95 sqm or even more.
2. The figure of 1800B per month for water and electricity (including heating and/or aircondition) for 85sqm area is definitely not possibe. 3000B would be more realist (as for Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, ...). Electricity costs in Chiang Mai is unfortunately not 50% cheaper than those of other major cities in Thailand.
Best regards,
And the other thing that's problematic about the Numbeo approach is that the same list is used the world over, disregarding cultural differences. For example, a McDonald's meal is considered a very cheapo meal in most of the Western world. In Thailand it's marketed to the middle classes, with prices to match. So a fairer comparison would be 'How much for a quick & cheap meal in country X'. For Thailand that would end up around 60 Baht or so including a drink; not the 170 Baht I see in the list for a McDonalds meal.
A hamburger in Thailand is exotic foreign cuisine. So rather than using it as some sort of universal yardstick you need to compare a hamburger in the USA to a plate of Phad Thai (for example) in Thailand.
Maybe a young person can live on $1000 or less over there since they live on a shoe-string budget, live in a tiny room and don't pay health insurance. A lot of us don't want to live on a shoe-string budget as a retiree. So, if you consider you'd be paying hundreds of dollars a month for health insurance as a retiree and more and more each year as you get older it adds up. That is a major reason for an older person to stay in the US as they have Medicare to help a lot with their health bills. You need to look at things thru the eyes of every age category and not just a millennial.
Yes, cooking at home is something I would do. Steaming a lot of cheap vegetables would indeed be both healthy and cost efficient.
I'm curious of your perspective on the rat, roach and mosquito issues. Have you experienced much with any of them? can I ask how old you are. It'll help me understand your comments better.
"I will get tired Thai food. That must mean I need to go to expensive western restaurants every day. I also need a luxurious condo that fits my high western standards. This all adds up! It's almost as much as I was paying in the US!"
Oh were you living in a condo with a pool in the city center of a big city in the US? Oh were you eating out every day in the US? No. Not even close.
Sure, western restaurants do cost more ($6-10 per meal). But....gee, I don't know, maybe cook at home? Comparing a life where you eat at out everyday to one where you'd mostly cook at home is ridiculous. Simply put, you can live REASONABLY for a very cheap price here. Think eating locally or cooking western food at home, renting a decent place, and going to western restaurants a few times a week. This is still very nice living by the way.
If you expect to live like a king here, then yeah you might pay an amount that's equal to a frugal life in the US. But then you're comparing Apples and Oranges.
It's true that you can go to one of the food courts in the malls or grocery stores or even the street vendors and have a good meal for $2 but that's Thai food. It's good but do you really want it every meal? If not then you have to pay far more for a western meal.
All the rules there related to checking in with immigration is a lot to deal with in my opinion. You have to notify them every time you move and check in every 90 days to verify your address. Chiang Mai is no longer "true" Thailand as it's been overtaken by retirees from other countries and digital nomads. Just go to youtube and look at the night life. All you see are white people other than the Thai's working in the establishments.
I planned on living over there but now the costs are going up so much it would be cheaper to live in the USA and for many reasons Abe mentions.
Also, you have to deal with possible malaria and other mosquito transmitted diseases. Now, Has anyone talked about the huge population of RATS there? Google it and see the throngs of rats eating out of the plastic trash bags that establishments leave outside that are picked up in the early morning hours. Then one friend mentioned how her and her husband were eating dinner when a rat fell from the ceiling landing on their table and jumping on her husband while escaping. Then the owner and his Thai wife came over and looked up and saw a large snake up where the rat just fells from. NICE!!
Oh, and I heard about the cockroach problem there. Off the charts.
Abe has it right. Maybe VISIT Thailand but if you think living there long term is a good idea then think again. Just my two cents.
By the time there's a large ex-pat scene somewhere, costs have significantly gone up. And by the time the wealthy investors arrive, game over. Thailand is fast becoming just that. I've also lived throughout Europe, North Africa, and South America and found the same trends there. Costa Rica/Panama/Morocco/Poland ... cheap. Nope! Not anymore. Add in the headaches with all the bureaucracy (not to mention the nearly universal unofficial perceived-rich-expat-taxes/fees) involved, returning home can be a bargain in comparison.
However, if you prefer to eat western food, eg. Italian or French, your bill will be 1,200 baht and up.
1) You cannot compare Thai construction quality wit European standards. As a result, even a 10 year old building can be totally worn out, not at least due to bad maintenance.
2) There are a lot of new condo buildings. However, most developers tend to build 1-BR-condos in shoebox-sizes, 34-42 sqm. I think, a good average for those is 14,000 baht monthly, based on a 1-year contract. A 75 sqm 1-BR will cost at least 20,000 baht.
3) Rental rates tend to rise further, due to a lot of China mainland expats with pockets full of money.
officially, you will need a work permit to work in a hotel in reception/bar. There are lot of Thai, you are competing with, speaking sufficient English. I assume, the average salary will be 20,000 baht in CM. IMHO, most hotels will shy away from the red tape for the work permit, if it is only for such an low level job.
In other tourist places in Thailand, you will also often observe Filipinas to cover English at the reception, working often without work permit and applying for an Education Visa, because the Thai salaries are higher than their salaries in Philippines.
Im preparing myself to move from London to Thailand, Chiang Mai.
I will have for beginning around £1500 till I will find a job . I would like to work in hotel on reception or in the bar.
Can please you guys write me into email what you think .If money will be enough for beginning or I should save more? And its easy for European to find a work?
Thank you for all tips and ideas.
Mariana
I would be looking to hire an English speaking live-in housekeeper closer to my age than a youngster. However I could make an exception If she were to need occasional help. I would more than willing to hire a part timer to work her sick days and heavy cleaning days and suchlike. I figure I could eat out or buy ahead and eat in on the big holidays.
I hope this doesn't read like I think I know it all or expect that I have it mentally programed to have it all my way. I do expect to compromise on some particulars.
Please give me a realistic answer (US style) to my question, am I tinking about this in the right way or what?
Can anyone confirm this? It seems outrageous for CM.
A pair of blue jeans ("or similar") has got to be way lower than 2500 baht.
A single person monthly costs: 440.71€ without rent
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) 335.66 €
This is not possible because no one would survive. I was in Chiang Mai twice and it is not possible that family of 4 would spend 1,600 EUR per month.
I think this data is wrong, Chiang Mai is much cheaper.
I need nice 1 bedroom Apartment in city center. Can I get it in less than 15000 baht ?
I have 1000$ for month budget to live of. is it enough ?
I am planning to build up 10 rooms longstay at my place for retirees.
My background was an operating room nurse.
Kindly contact me back for any question you need about long stay in Chiang Mai.
Regards,
Raenu Chaichanan (Toi)